Blind Date
by MinnieBSB
Summary: Fin sets Elliot up on a blind date. More to come soon! Love y'all! M in later chapters. Updated 9/7/16
1. The Setup

**AN: Hey there! A story idea popped into my head while I was at work today, so I wrote this down during my break. I apologize for the intro being so short, but this was the best place to cut it off. If you like the idea and think I should continue, let me know. Love y'all! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order SVU or the characters.**

"El, man, what are you doing tomorrow night?" Fin asked while he caught up to his coworker. Elliot tried not to scoff. Fin chose to ask him while he was struggling to carry three boxes full of files down the hall and into the squadroom.

"Can't you see that I'm a little busy at the moment?"

Fin rolled his eyes but took the top box into his arms regardless. "Well I may be wrong, but I thought you might be interested in a single, smart, and smoking hot lady friend of mine".

Elliot stopped in his tracks, almost causing Fin to trip over him. What straight man wouldn't be interested in that?

"I suppose I could spare a moment". Both men set down their boxes, sighing at the slight relief their muscles felt.

"I have an old friend that asked me to help her out. She said that she sucked at finding good guys, so she asked me to set her up with someone. You've been divorced for six months and haven't gone out on a single date. You need to get yourself out there, man. Go have a nice night with some lady company".

Elliot simply shrugged. "I haven't found anyone that caught my eye" He explained.

Fin nodded, but didn't really care. "So, tomorrow night at eight?"

"Do I get to know anything about her?" Elliot asked instead of answering.

"All you need to know is that she's a friend of mine, and if you hurt her, I'll end you".

Elliot swallowed the small lump that had formed in his throat. If Fin was that protective over her, she had to be important.

"Got it".

"Cool. I'll text you tonight with where she picked for dinner". Fin picked up his box once more. "Oh, and wear a red tie. She'll have a white flower in her hair".

On the outside, Elliot was calm, cool, and collected. On the inside though...he was a nervous wreck. He hadn't been on a date in years. The last time he had been on a first date was when he was seventeen. This would be his first _blind_ date ever. His history with women didn't give him very much confidence either. Kathy had been his very first girlfriend and the only reason they got married was that Maureen was on the way. Just like most marriages that were performed under obligation, theirs failed miserably. They suffered through the last several years with no communication, no sex, and no interest. They had become unhappy roommates. Then there was Olivia…

It still hurt to think about her, and it always would. She was his partner and best friend in the whole world for seven and a half years. She's the reason that he would drag himself out of bed in the mornings. He knew that he'd get to see the love of his life every single day at work. They were getting closer and closer, and he was ready to tell her how he felt. That is, until he ruined everything by questioning their partnership, the very thing they spent seven years building. He still remembered the hurt and tears in her eyes when he said that they couldn't be partners anymore. If he could go back and do it all again, he'd take back every single word and replace them with _I love you, never leave me_. That was eight months ago. After she had been gone for a week, Elliot knew that she wasn't coming back to him. She was gone.

Maybe Fin was right. It was time to get out there, explore his other options. He knew that he'd never find someone that could come close to being Olivia, but that didn't mean that he had to be alone for the rest of his life either. She had left him. Sure, it was his fault that she had gotten upset, but she had given up on them completely before anything ever happened. Elliot sighed, but a smile quickly formed on his face.

He was a man, and he had needs. He needed to forget the past and move forward, have fun with his life! Most of all, he needed to go out and buy a red tie, because he had a date tomorrow.


	2. The Build Up

**AN: Hey there! I completely forgot to mention that this is set in Season 8, but Olivia was in Oregon a lot longer and a couple of other things will be different. The italicized portions are set before Fin told Elliot about the date. Thank you so much for all of your support and interest in this story. I don't expect this to be a long story, so hopefully it'll be all done in the next week or two. I always love hearing how you feel. Love y'all!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order SVU or the characters… Except for Niecy. She's mine :P**

 _*5 Days Earlier*_

 _Fin entered the dimly lit bar with a huge smile on his face and a beautiful woman on his right arm. They had met at the grocery store a few days beforehand, and they really hit it off. Niecy, which he later found out was her name, had slipped her number to him after she paid for her items. They had enjoyed a nice, quiet dinner together, but now it was time for a drink or two. Hopefully, the saying "whiskey makes me frisky" would ring true. They settled down in a booth, sharing the same side. Fin was about to say something when he heard a familiar voice. Two familiar voices in fact. He turned to look at the patrons sitting behind him, his jaw nearly hitting the floor when he saw the source of the voices. Olivia Benson was sitting at the table next to him, having a drink with the SVU's former ADA Alexandra Cabot._

" _Olivia" He said loud enough to earn the ladies' attention. The brunette looked like a deer caught in headlights._

" _Niecy! Is that you? Oh my God how have you been?" Alex asked, turning herself in the booth so they could talk._

" _You know her?" Fin double checked._

 _Niecy nodded. "Alex was my roommate my freshman year of college. We've stayed in touch ever since. Do you mind if they join us? I haven't seen her in years"._

 _Fin easily agreed, knowing that he needed time to talk to Olivia also. The new couple joined the women at their table. Fin sat next to Olivia, trapping her in the booth. She looked so different. It was hard to believe that she was the same woman that worked with him for six years._

" _Where the hell have you been?" He asked in a hushed tone._

 _Olivia rolled her eyes and took a long swig of her drink. "That's none of your business"._

" _Liv, I was worried about you. I miss working with you. I just want to know that everything is okay"._

 _She must have been able to sense his genuine concern, because she seemed to relax, even if it was only a little bit. He could tell that she was thinking of what to tell him._

" _Look, I'm fine, okay? I just needed time away from there. The cases, the victims, the overall stress...I needed some time. Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine. I really am". It sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than him. He knew that there was so much more that she wasn't telling him, but that was okay. He needed to earn her trust, and then she would tell him everything._

" _Fin, please do not tell Elliot that you saw me. I haven't been back long and I'm not ready. You can tell Cragen if you want, but you have to make sure he swears to secrecy"._

 _Fin nodded. He wouldn't breathe a word to anyone. He wanted Olivia to trust him, and this was a good start to building that trust. The other two women's conversation was coming to a close, leaving Fin with no time to spare._

" _I promise I won't say a word, as long as you promise to come hang out some time. We can do booze and football or something. Hell, I don't even care if you bring a chick flick and some fruity drinks. I just want to catch up"._

 _Olivia chuckled lightly at his offer, conceding to his terms. Truth be told, she had missed him, John, and Cragen incredibly while she was gone. They were the only family she ever knew._

" _You drive a hard bargain. You've got yourself a deal. Now, I'm going to get Alex home before we have a repeat performance of the New Year's Eve party. Go enjoy your date"._

 _*3 Days Later*_

 _Olivia knocked on the door to Fin's apartment, quickly wrapping her arms around herself afterwards. It was starting to get chilly in the evenings and unfortunately she forgot to bring a jacket with her._

" _Come on in" He called through the door._

 _She opened the door and looked around for him, finding him in the kitchen._

" _Go ahead and get comfy. I'll grab you a beer"._

 _She made herself comfortable on the couch, silently wishing that he had a throw or something draped over the back so she could warm up. If she was honest, she didn't feel like leaving her apartment at all. Fin was a friend that she loved dearly, but she couldn't wait to get this over with. She hadn't slept in days and she could hear her bed calling for her. At the same time, she was thankful for the company._

" _Are you okay? You look really tired" Fin questioned even though the answer was obvious._

" _I'm exhausted. I haven't slept in days and the last time I had a good night's sleep was probably like a month ago. I've been lonely and cranky, and I can't wait for this to pass" She admitted. She took a swig of her beer, wishing she hadn't said so much. Besides her drink with Alex, this was the first time she sat down and spent time with a friend._

 _Fin chuckled a bit before saying, "It sounds like someone needs to get laid"._

 _Olivia rolled her eyes. "Trust me, I know. The problem is I'm getting too old for one night stands. I just want to find a good guy and settle down, but I'm horrible at finding them"._

 _Fin nodded. This wasn't exactly what he expected when he said he wanted to catch up, but if it was easier for her open up about this, he would take it. Then he had a brilliant idea._

" _Why don't I set you up with somebody? I know plenty of good guys"._

 _Olivia scrunched up her nose. "I don't know…"._

" _Come on, Liv. What's the worst that could happen? You don't connect with the guy at all and you had a boring date. You don't want to miss the chance to meet the love of you life"._

 _Olivia bit back a laugh. She wouldn't be meeting the love of her life regardless. She had already met him and fucked it up, but Fin did have a point. She could meet a totally awesome guy._

" _Fine. I'm free Friday night"._

*Current Day*

Olivia toyed with the glass flute in her hand, swirling the liquid around. It was nearly 8:15. Her date was more than fashionably late. The waiter kept looking at her from across the room, silently asking "Have you given up yet?". Fin wouldn't set her up with another jerk, right? Whoever he was had five more minutes, then she was leaving. She calmly sipped at her wine, trying to think of the excuses he'd use. "I got stuck in traffic" or "Work kept me late" were likely contenders. Bullshit. In her seven years at the Manhattan SVU, she never stood up a single date. The amount of dates she had to cancel was ridiculous, but that wasn't the point. She checked her phone one last time. He had been given a full half hour. He blew it. She downed the rest of her wine and flagged down the waiter, ready to get the hell out of there. Home was where she wanted to be, but she had one stop to make first.

Elliot awoke with a start, relieved to be out of the hell that his dreamland had become. The nightmares started after the Gitano case, and they hadn't let up since. This one had been a hybrid of that case and the one they had just closed earlier in the day. He sat up and stretched, instantly regretting dozing off on the couch. The clock on the cable box caught his eye.

"Shit!" He cursed. It was already 8:30. He had overslept and he had no way to contact the woman that he was supposed to meet for dinner. Without another thought, he grabbed his phone and keys, heading out to try to fix this mess.

Olivia pounded as hard as she possibly could on the door. It wasn't that late and if a neighbor was dumb enough to cross her at the moment, it was their funeral. After three minutes straight of banging, Fin finally opened his door. He was only wearing pair of boxers, and from the way he rubbed his eyes, she could tell that she woke him up. Oh well.

"What the fuck is going on?"

"I just wanted to thank you for setting me up with such a great guy. I got a free glass of wine because of him. The waiter felt so bad that I got stood up that he didn't even charge me for it". By the end of her rather loud explanation, the next door neighbor had stuck her head out to make sure everything was okay. Fin ushered her through the door, gently closing it behind them. Olivia plopped down on the couch, folding her arms over her chest.

"I don't know why I expected this to actually work out. Maybe I'm meant to be alone" She sighed.

A loud knock interrupted them.

"Probably a neighbor" Fin dismissed.

There was another knock. Fin groaned, but answered the door.

"I don't know what to do. I fucked up and overslept. I need you to call her and explain for me" A frantic Elliot begged.

Before Fin could say anything or figure out how to keep the two apart, Elliot's eyes locked with Olivia's.

"Olivia?"

"Elliot?"


	3. The Blow Up

**AN: Hello everyone! I know it's been too long since I updated this. Here's the next chapter and I promise the next one will be up soon! Thank you for all the feedback. I'd love to hear from you. Love y'all!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order SVU or the characters.**

The sound of a hard slap echoed throughout the small apartment, bringing Elliot out of his daze. Fin was clutching his cheek while Olivia moved towards him. Great, he was the next in line to meet her palm. She stepped in front of him with her arms crossed protectively over her chest.

"You're blocking the door", was all that she said to him. Her timid voice and lack of eye contact cut him deeply. He put his hands on her shoulders when she tried to get around him, stopping her.

"Liv, can we please talk about this?"

"Elliot". She bit her lip before bolting out the door.

"Olivia!"

"Let her go. Trust me, it's better to let her cool down. My cheek still hasn't" Fin attempted to joke.

Elliot shook his head. "I don't know who fucked up worse, you, or me. I haven't seen her in so long… How long has she been home?"

"Look man, I learned my lesson. I'm not getting involved anymore. You two will work everything out and hopefully I'll be forgiven. I'll give you her new address and the emergency key".

Elliot let out a sigh, accepting the fact that she was probably going to kick him out. Despite Fin's warning, he quickly walked out of his apartment, racing down the steps. Thankfully, he made it to the first floor just as Olivia was going out the door. He called after her, but she didn't hear him. He broke into a jog, catching up to her.

"Liv".

She stopped and turned around, and that's when he realized exactly how much he had hurt her. She was crying. Olivia, the strongest person he knew was crying.

"Did you have him set me up with you just so you could stand me up? Was that your way of getting back at me for leaving without a word?"

He shook his head. "I swear I didn't even know he was doing this. It was a blind date".

She nodded, seeming to accept that he was being honest.

"Well, tonight has been eventful enough, so I'm just going to head home. Goodnight, El". Without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving him alone on the sidewalk.

He had to fix this. Olivia was his partner, and more importantly, his best friend. He had an idea, and prayed to God that she would go along with it.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Olivia slammed her apartment door, refusing to give one single fuck about bothering her neighbors. The flower in her hair had fallen down in her haste. It was clinging on to the ends of her curls, so she yanked it out and stomped on it. She threw herself down on the couch, burying her face in a pillow to muffle her scream. If she thought she was frustrated before…

How could Fin betray her like that? She had trusted him and let him in when all she wanted to do was hide. Fin had no idea. He didn't know how hard she had to work just to keep Elliot's words out of her head while she was undercover. He had no clue how lonely she was, knowing that if she took someone home with her, she'd be calling out the wrong name. Fin had no idea, yet he felt the need to play match-maker. Elliot was right though, they couldn't have been partners anymore. They were too close to be able to put the job first. It was the way that he blamed her for _his_ decision to go to her, leaving Ryan with Gitano, that had broken her. Maybe that was because he wasn't totally wrong. Maybe it was her fault. She had spent years pining after a man that was off limits to her. Maybe this was her punishment for lusting after him when he was married.

A firm knock brought her out of her thoughts. "Go away!" She yelled, but there was another knock. Olivia groaned, pushing herself off of the couch.

"Can't you leave me-Elliot?"

He stood before her with his hands behind his back and a shy smile on his face. A red tie had caught her eye. She let herself check him out, noting the fact that he had changed into a suit.

"Hi, my name is Elliot Stabler. A buddy of mine set us up tonight, but I kind of overslept so I asked him for your address. I hope you don't mind?"

"Umm" She was deeply confused. What was he doing?

He presented to her a bouquet of white lilies and a single red rose.

"He told me that you'd be wearing a white flower in your hair, but I thought that we could match…You look absolutely stunning".

She silently accepted the flowers, allowing herself to take in their fresh aroma. Elliot removed the rose from the bouquet, carefully breaking it off the stem and placing it in her hair. They both knew that it wouldn't stay without a hair clip, but it was still a nice gesture. Her cheeks were bright red and she was still confused, but at the same time...

"I know I messed up, and I know that you weren't ready to see me again, but I'd really like to take you to dinner. You are a beautiful woman and I'd be honored if you'd give me a chance to get to know you. Please?"

He must have sensed her reluctance. "Dinner as two people that don't know each other" He stressed. They didn't have to talk about the things they had said or their actions over the last several months, they would just be two people enjoying each other's company.

Despite her better judgement, she accepts.

"Let me put these in water and we can go". She turned to head towards the kitchen.

"Oh, and I'm Olivia Benson. It's a pleasure to meet you".

Maybe she was crazy. Maybe she shouldn't have agreed so easily, but what did she have to lose at this point?


End file.
